Hezbollah Leader Says Group Will Accept Election Loss With ‘Sportsmanship’

After official results showing that the group’s opposition bloc had lost yesterday’s elections, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah today insisted that his group will accept the defeat “with sportsmanship and in a democratic way.” He also expressed hope that the US-backed ruling bloc would continue to keep Lebanon “independent and stable.”

Nasrallah also added that the lack of violence incidents in the election underscored that the group’s armed faction was not a political obstacle, and that there was therefore no reason for the group to disarm. The US and its allies have pressured the Lebanese government to disarm Hezbollah, but the group’s heavy armament and considerable support has made an involuntary disarmament a virtual impossibility.